Growing Embers
=Growing Embers= Written by Zayd Introduction To ROTC ROTC is a fan fiction about what would happen if the four original clans fell into a rebellion, and Cats began to separate and make their own clans. They would quickly advance in technology and form nations. Wars would be fought, and alliances would be made. Population will grow from the hundreds, to the thousands, and to the millions, as the nations expand. Prologue Yowls of outrage and anger echoed into the ears of a broad-shouldered dark brown tabby, who sat on the damp ground, his eyes frozen. "Bramblestar?" Meowed a large white Tom with black paws. Bramblestar looked over to see Blackstar, strolling towards him. "I'm sorry, but as you know, the clans have betrayed us, and are leaving us, with StarClan." Bramblestar said, his voice filled with sorrow. "Bramblestar, I can stop this-" Blackstar said, interrupted by Bramblestar. "No. It's too late. They will kill us If we return." He sternly meowed, standing up. "Then is it over? Are the clans truly destroyed?" Blackstar asked, stammering slightly. "I'm afraid so." Bramblestar admitted quietly. A small, light brown tabby, with amber eyes, padded towards the two leaders, gasping for air. "I was be-betrayed by my own c-clan.." He said, panting. Following the small tabby, a sleek, blue-grey she-cat spoke immediately. "We all were, Onestar." She meowed camly, ironically to the situation at hand. "Wait, what's going on, Mistystar?" Onestar said, still out of breath. But it was Blackstar who answered, instead. "The clans are breaking apart, leaving us and the clans to die." Blackstar explained sharply, with sorrow in his tone. "I can't believe this!" Onestar yowled in sadness. "Why would StarClan want us to be destroyed?" "StarClan is not with us." Bramblestar meowed sharply. "How could they betray us!" Mistystar yowled. "Then has StarClan become nothing?" Onestar snarled. "StarClan is not destroyed, it can't be!" Blackstar retorted, unsheathing his claws. "They left us here to die, where else could they have gone?" Mistystar hissed, crouching, readying to attack. "Stop fighting!" Bramblestar yelled, silencing the arguing leaders. "If StarClan wanted to destroy the clans, they already would have been, and if they left, we would have known sooner!" He snorted. "Well, Bramblestar, StarClan no longer guides us." Blackstar pointed out. "You are right, we are no longer leaders of anything." Bramblestar meowed sorrowfully. ---- Elsewhere- "We will have freedom! The rebellion is now! Cats of all clans, join us, and we will no longer be told what to do by StarClan!" A large red Tom yelled, surrounded by hundreds of cats. Yowls of approval filled the air, along with the screeches of anger. A group of cats from RiverClan protested: "Never, Redclaw, we are apart of the clans, and we only have StarClan to thank for that!" One of them spat furiously. "If you do not wish to rebel against the foolish leaders and their "StarClan", then you are our enemy!" Redclaw hissed. "Revolution!" He yelled, into the cold air. Hundreds of cats hissed and snarled, "Revolution!" They proceeded to run towards the opposing believers, with their claws extended, and leap at them. The helpless defenders fought to the last breath, outnumbered by the rebellion, and were wiped out on the battlefield. Redclaw turned to face the insane wave of death that was his rebellion, and was suddenly pushed to the ground. "What are you doing, you idiots! I'm your leader!" He spat angrily. "We are our own leaders, Redclaw!" A cat said from the angry crowd. They proceeded to surround him, and a single red Tom with a yellow star on his eye steeped from the masses. He looked at Redclaw, and sunk his teeth into his neck, and blood poured out. In seconds, Redclaw went limp, and the Tom dropped him to the ground. "REVOULUTION!" He yelled into the night sky, followed by the crowd around him. Chapter I: First Sparks Lightningpaw snuck towards a crow, stepping slowly through the snow beneath his paws. He leaped, and quickly killed it with a bite. He began carrying it back to camp. His mentor, told him he was excellent at hunting, but Lightningpaw didn't believe it. It has been many moons since Redclaw's Rebellion, and the clans broke into pieces, and founded new ones, very far away. Lightningpaw was glad to be apart of the mountainous AlpsClan, who endured the cold atop large mountains. He padded back to camp, and he was greeted by a icy blue-white she-cat, who was his mentor, Iceheart. "Hi, Lightningpaw! Nice catch!" She meowed gleefully. Unable to speak with the crow in his jaws, he walked to the fresh-kill pile-- which was well stocked, but still not enough for the dozens of hungry cats -- and put it down. Lightningpaw dropped the crow, and went to the apprentice's den. The apprentice's den was a huge pine tree, with very long branches on the bottom, and a small but deep cut in the front. Apprentices could sleep under the cover of the dense pine tree, without getting cold. Lightningpaw walked inside, and saw two other apprentices, a light grey tom named Greypaw, and a white-black striped tabby she-cat named Blizzardpaw. He found a comfortable spot, lay down, and began to sleep. ---- Lightningpaw was standing in his Clan's camp, surrounded by ghostly red cats with yellow eyes. "Hello?" He asked curiously. "The motherland will take the fight to their clan, to their land, to their blood! Stand aside or the might of Russia will will crush you beneath our paws!" Announced one of the cats. One of them stepped forward, a red tom with a yellow star on his eye. "I am Peterstar, and I will destroy the opposing Clans! Russia will not falter, we will be free! URAH!!!!" He yowled, in a distinctively stern voice. ---- Lightningpaw jolted awake. What kind of dream was that? He thought. Lightningpaw stood up, and padded outside. "Hey, Lightningpaw? You okay? You were talking in your sleep." Blizzardpaw said, shaking her head. "I'm fine, Blizzardpaw, thanks for asking." Lightningpaw replied, coolly, trying to cover up his nightmare. He had to talk to AlpsClan's Medicine Cat. She usually knows things about StarClan, and strange dreams, doesn't she? He thought as he went. Before long, the apprentice was at a cave made of ice, coated with snow. The Medicine den. ''He stepped inside to see Echofrost. "Echofrost?" He asked, rather calmly for a cat who had just witnessed the nightmare of nightmares. The blue-grey she-cat padded over, from where she had been organizing herbs and other medicine. "Yes, Lightningpaw? What's wrong?" Echofrost asked gently. "I had a very strange dream last night... It was about some leader named Peterstar or something. He said that his nation would destroy all the other clans," Lightningpaw explained, still calm. Echofrost hesitated, and then answered a pace too quickly, "I have also had this dream, but I still need to figure it out. I can tell you if I learn anything else, Lightningpaw. Okay? Now, scoot." He nodded slowly, then turned around and padded away. Lightningpaw emerged into the snow covered clearing, then started when he heard yowls close by. He rushed over to the scene to see a battle in progress -- his precious Clan, versus unknown intruders. Casting his caution to the winds, Lightningpaw leapt into the fight -- literally, onto one of the invaders. He bit into his shoulder, and the cat winced in pain. He shook Lightningpaw off, and retreated. One of the cats then stepped back from the carnage, and yowled, "This will be ''our land! We will return to kill you all off! For Peterstar!" before fleeing. Lightningpaw looked at Echofrost, who had padded up from behind him, and then searched the camp, making sure everyone was okay. "Lightningpaw?" Asked a voice behind him. He turned around to see his leader, Icestar, who was padding towards him. "Yes, Icestar?" Lightningpaw replied, still panting from the fight, but trying his best to look calm. "Echofrost told me that you have dreamed about cats coming to take our land. Was there anything else?" She inquired coolly. "All I know is that the leader of this group is that their leader is Peterstar." He admitted, chagrinned at not having any more information. Chapter II: Smallest Flames AlpsClan is getting attacked constantly by the 'Russian nation', and is losing more strength each time... ''Lightningpaw thought dejectedly, shuffling his paws. Suddenly, one of the warriors in the clan, Thunderwing, padded up to him from the entrance and snapped, "Hey, we've lost more members in another attack, tell Icestar, will you?" Lightningpaw turned and ran to the leader's den, and requested permission to enter. When it was given, he walked inside, and sat down in front of the leader. "Thunderwing said we have lost another patrol... What should we do, Icestar?" He asked. "We must retaliate!" Icestar replied hotly. "But, we don't have enough--" Lightningpaw began. "No! If we don't push them back, we will all be killed!" She spat, and exited the den. ---- A large group of warriors and apprentices moved along the snowy mountainside. Coldfoot, the Clan deputy, scented the enemy first. Lightningpaw looked at the ground. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, yelling from all directions sounded. "For the motherland!" And they were surrounded, and outnumbered, five to one -- hundreds of foes were charging towards them, hissing, snarling, and spitting, an unpenetrable wall of fury that was determined to wipe the patrol out. The fight began instantly, and ended just as quickly for most of the cats. Coldfoot was piled on by cats, and killed quickly, while the rest of AlpsClan struggled their way through the horde of enemies. Lightningpaw noticed Coldfoot's death first, and knew that he was right with a heavy heart. ''There just aren't enough of us, he thought sadly, and lifted his voice to yowl, "We have to get out of here!" Most of the warriors ignored his order and continued to fight -- To their deaths, Lightningpaw mused sadly, while the apprentices followed his call. They only just escaped, and fled with Lightningpaw, to camp. ---- "Icestar!" Lightningpaw panted, blinking away the fatigue and pain that was threatening to steal his consciousness.